I can't remember exactly when my last visit to Suika was, but I know that it was somewhere in the line of 2006 - 2007 when they first opened their doors here in Vancouver. If you guys haven't been to Suika before, Suika is a Japanese Tapas restaurant similar to Guu (another Japanese Tapas place) that serves snack sized portions of food with very outgoing and loud servers (loud in a good way though!). Located at 1626 W. Broadway, directly beside Goldilocks, Suika is surprisingly a great restaurant for dates (even with the loud background), gatherings and celebrations (Although it's not really a big restaurant, it can still house quite a decent amount of people).
One of the most important things that you have to remember here when your planning on going for dinner at Suika is.. reservation. We actually went on a Thursday with reservations at 7:30pm and the place was still surprisingly full! (this goes to show how good this restaurant is.. still busy even on a weekday!) One thing I'm not really sure of is whether or not you might need to make reservations during lunch time. I'm assuming that they might also be very busy especially during peak eating hours because of lunch rushes or lunch breaks that people (who work near there) would have. For their lunch menu, I think that they do have a different set of items and specials that they only offer during lunch time so I guess this gives me another excuse to go back another time to check it out myself.
One issue that I didn't like with Suika's location is the parking (as always when your eating in Vancouver). Since the restaurant is located on W. Broadway, street parking is usually the only available area for you to park in. It can be a pain in the butt to find a good spot near the restaurant let alone do parallel parking with lots of cars waiting behind you at the same time. What I do admire from this restaurant is that the service that they provide is very consistent (as I recall from my last visit here, the service was still very good and up to my standards). The kitchen was also quick at producing (fresh and quality) food because we didn't have
to wait long before our orders started to arrive on our table. Our server was also very
accommodating during our entire meal which helped in making our experience even better for all of us. When it was time for me to judge the food, I would
have to say that (although simple) the presentation was done very well. They were also able to incorporate the right combination of flavors and textures into their dishes which helped (better) enhance the taste of each item even more.
Also, If you've never been to Suika before I would highly recommend getting/trying out the "Suika Punch" dinner package that Vaneats is currently offering for $25. The package includes: Lightly Smoked Tuna Tataki, Tomato Kimchi, Yellowtail Carpaccio, The Hellz Chicken, Chinese Poutine and a pitcher of Sapporo. My friends and I actually bought one of their dinner package just to try it out and as you will see below through the pictures, for 5 food items and a pitcher of Sapporo beer, it's a pretty good deal! I would definitely recommend you guys getting this! Not only will you get to try a variety of items from their menu, but your also getting the bang for your buck by paying only $25 for 6 items (imagine beer alone already costs $18!).
Sapporo beer (included in Suika Punch dinner package)
Lightly Smoked Tuna Tataki (included in Suika Punch dinner package)
Tomato Kimchi (included in Suika Punch dinner package)
Yellowtail Carpaccio (included in Suika Punch dinner package)
Corn Kakiage: This is a must try/order item! You wouldn't think it to be
anything special when your looking at the description of it on the menu
but when you try it, you'll be absolutely mind blown at how you can make
such an amazing dish with very simple ingredients.
Grilled Duck: Duck was cooked very well
Chinese Poutine: They were spot on with the Chinese part because the
poutine had minced meat on top, the fries were crispy but it wasn't
anything special. (included in Suika Punch dinner package)
The Hellz Chicken: The chicken was cooked perfectly and when combined
with the sauce, it had the right kick of spiciness that made everything
worked well together. The sauce however tasted kind of familiar to me..
it actually made me think of Tabasco sauce mixed with Siracha. (included in Suika Punch dinner package)
Dynamic Steak: This is another must try/order item! I'm not sure if
they have this on the menu but it's the enhanced version of their Beef
Fillet Steak. It costs $38, and it's twice the size of their regular
steak which costs $16. One order of this is actually good enough to
share for 2-3 people. It has the right amount of meat to fat ratio and
when you eat it with the wasabi that it comes with, your taste buds may
feel just like they are about to go to meat heaven!
Matcha Brulee: It was absolutely divine! I think one order wasn't
enough to make me feel fully satisfied with this dessert. If you combine everything
together (the matcha with the red bean and whipped cream), it was just perfect.. melt in your mouth perfect!
